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☆ A former Samsung exec stole plans for a chipmaking plant in China — then tried to replicate it across town, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Associated Press | Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An ex-Samsung executive has been indicted on charges of stealing company secrets for a chip plant. The 65-year-old man tried to use the stolen plans to build a copycat facility, prosecutors said. The copycat chipmaking plant would have been less than a mile from Samsung's in Xi'an, China. A former Samsung executive stole blueprints and trade secrets from his ex-employer — and then tried to set up a microchip factory in China less than a mile away from Samsung's own, prosecutors said. The technology prosecutors said was stolen by the man's China-based company would have been worth at least $233 million for Samsung.

Persons: —, wasn't, China —, Yonhap, … Organizations: Samsung, Morning, South, AP, Prosecutors, Korean Herald, SK Hynix Locations: Samsung's, Xi'an, China, Korea, South Korean, South Korea, Suwon, Singapore

☆ The house from 'The Brady Bunch' is on the market. Check out photos of the $5.5 million property.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The home made famous in "The Brady Bunch" has hit the market. The property in Studio City, Los Angeles is listed at $5.5 million. While the show was never shot inside the home, it's been renovated to mirror "The Brady Bunch" set. Now's your chance: The house featured in "The Brady Bunch" recently hit the market. The property can be yours for a cool $5.5 million.

Persons: it's, —, Danny Brown Organizations: Service, HGTV Locations: Studio City, Los Angeles, American, Studio, Hollywood

☆ Mark Zuckerberg praised Elon Musk's push 'to make Twitter a lot leaner'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On a recent episode of "The Lex Fridman Podcast," Mark Zuckerberg was asked about Elon Musk. Zuckerberg praised some of Musk's changes to Twitter, calling them "probably good for the industry." Mark Zuckerberg has some good things to say about the way Elon Musk has been running Twitter. "Elon led a push early on to make Twitter a lot leaner," Zuckerberg said, after pausing to consider the question. Like Musk, Zuckerberg has conducted multiple rounds of layoffs over the past eight months.

Persons: Lex Fridman, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, Musk's, Fridman, —, Musk, Tesla, Elon, He's Organizations: Twitter, Elon, Meta

☆ The uber-rich are spending hundreds of thousands to hire pop stars like Flo Rida to perform at their kid's bar mitzvahs and birthdays
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The wealthy are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on 30-minute performances from music artists. These private shows, like bar mitzvahs or birthdays, can draw in big names like Flo Rida and Drake. As artists make less money from their music, the idea of "selling out" is changing, New Yorker reports. To get Flo Rida at your private event however, it will run you between $150,000 and $300,000, with international shows extending that fee up to around $1 million, the New Yorker reported. A lawyer for Flo Rida confirmed to Insider that fee range was accurate and said his client "loves weddings, birthday parties and bar/bat mitzvahs."

Persons: Flo Rida, Drake, Flo Rida's, Flo, Beyonce, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, Ryan Schinman, Ariana Grande —, Travis Scott Organizations: Morning, New Yorker, Billboard, Citigroup, McDonalds Locations: Miami, Lincolnshire, Chicago, New, Italy, Dubai, Sardinia

☆ Aldi is turning off lights in its stores to try to save customers money
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Aldi will be turning off lights across all of its store locations this month. The move follows a trial earlier this year, in which the discount retailer tried turning off some lights in four stores, according to The Telegraph. Initially founded in West Germany, Aldi has since expanded outside of its founding country to the tune of more than 12,000 stores across the US, UK, France, and Australia. Cutting down on energy costs is not exactly new in Europe, as energy prices have risen due to the war in Ukraine. Around 800 bakeries in Germany went dark in September 2022, while still serving customers, to protest rising power cost.

Persons: — Organizations: Aldi, Service, Telegraph, The Telegraph, European Central Bank Locations: West Germany, France, Australia, Europe, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Denmark

☆ Parents are going to love the new 'Check In' feature in Apple's iOS 17
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's WWDC 2023 kicked off on Monday, with iOS 17 among the big announcements. A feature called "Check In" provides real-time updates to location which parents should love. The 2023 edition of Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference kicked off on Monday where the company introduced iOS 17, the latest version of the company's mobile operating system. "Check In" is a new safety feature that allows family or friends to see that their loved one safely arrived at a destination according to plan. Check In makes it easier, automatic and realtime for iPhone users to alert others if something went wrong while traveling alone.

Persons: Apple's Organizations: Apple's, Developer's Conference

☆ Apple's new headset lets you see your surroundings with breakthrough 'EyeSight' tech — here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple announced its Vision Pro headset on Monday at the company's WWDC 2023. Vision Pro will cost $3,499 and is set to become available early next year. When someone approaches a Vision Pro user, the headset brings them into the user's field of vision, while at the same time displaying the user's eyes. At the moment EyeSight is not currently available in competitors, like Meta's Quest 3, which was announced just days before Apple's Vision Pro. Apple said Monday Vision Pro will be available in early 2024, while the Quest 3 comes out this fall.

Persons: Alan Dye, Apple Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Vision, Vision Pro, Apple's Locations: Cupertino , California

☆ Remember that jiu-jitsu tournament Mark Zuckerberg won? He was also choked out during the match.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Zuckerberg has taken to improving his physique as he gets more interested in jiu-jitsu. In May, Zuckerberg participated in his first tournament and was choked unconscious, NYT reports. The road to Mark Zuckerberg's gold and sliver medals at a recent jiu-jitsu tournament apparently came with a few bumps, according to a new report. Zuckerberg didn't respond to a request for comment from the Times, and Meta, where Zuckerberg is CEO, didn't respond to a request from Insider. "I really like watching UFC because I also like doing the sport," Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg's, José Lucas Costa da Silva, he'd, Costa da Silva, Khai Wu, Conor McGregor, —, Joe Rogan Organizations: Meta, New York Times, Facebook, Times, UFC Locations: Brazilian, Meta, Brazil, Thai

☆ Airbnb is suing New York City over short-term rental rules. The outcome could disrupt your next vacation in cities across the US.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In 2022, New York City passed a law that imposed restrictions on short-term rentals. On Thursday, Airbnb, along with a trio of local hosts, sued New York City, filing two separate lawsuits in Manhattan's state court. The more properties are turned into short-term rentals, the fewer housing options are available for actual residents. This isn't the first time Airbnb has battled short-term rental rules, and the court's ruling may affect how lawmakers approach the issue. In 2020, the company agreed to settle a dispute with New York City over a 2018 law that attempted to curb the practice.

Persons: Airbnb, Karen Dunn, Dunn, Gia Briscoe, Eric Adams Organizations: Morning, New York City's, New Locations: New York City, New York, Airbnb, Cities, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Florence

☆ Out-of-control tip culture meets summer travel: Are you ready for a $19 daily charge for staff tips and $50 'check-in fee'?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On top of a nightly charge of as much as £918, or about $1142, the hotel charges guests a daily £15, or $19, service fee. The Dreamcatcher DW in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is another hotel that charges an undisclosed $15 a night "hotel fee." "We do have a $50 check-in fee that started at the beginning of this year," a spokesperson for Hanalei Bay Resort told Insider. More general resort fees that are tacked onto customer bills are not new. Hrubant says that resort fees started to become standard in major cities in 2018, functioning as an ancillary fee that can "gouge clients."

Persons: —, Alexa Moore, I've, Eric Hrubant, Hrubant, aren't, Henrik Helgesen, bellman, gratuity —, costumers Organizations: Service, Resort, New, CIRE, Street Journal Locations: Montague, London, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Kauai, Hawaii, New York, California, Arizona

☆ The wealthy are installing $65,000 cold plunge pools in their yards so they can start their mornings off in frigid water
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cold plunging — the act of submerging oneself in frigid water — has grown in popularity. Diamond Spas & Pools, a luxury pool manufacturer in Colorado, told the Journal that its cold plunge orders have "increased 10 times" since 2019. "Cold plunging has also reduced my stress by allowing me to better focus on the present without anxiety creeping in." Cube's residential cold plunge bath is normally priced at just under $22,000, but is currently on sale for $17,999. Recent interest in cold plunging is indicative of the lengths the uber-rich are willing to go to achieve perfect health.

Persons: —, Brad Margist, Margist, Stephen Garten, Garten Organizations: Service, Street Journal Locations: Colorado, —, Manhattan, Lower, Side

☆ This video shows how Nvidia's AI could transform the experience of talking to video game characters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nvidia debuted a new AI tool at Computex Taipei that targets the video game experience. One video game alone can have dozens — if not hundreds — of non-player characters, or NPCs. These characters will also be able to generate facial expressions based on the audio inputs they receive, Nvidia said. What separates this brief interaction from encounters in other video games is the way Jin reacts and responds to the player. "Although he is an NPC, Jin replies to natural language queries realistically and consistent with the narrative backstory — all with the help of generative AI," Nvidia said in its press release.

Persons: Tom Nook, Zelda, Hyrule, Jensen Huang, Jin, Huang Organizations: Nvidia, Nintendo Locations: Taipei, Santa Clara

☆ A host of iconic TV memorabilia can be yours. Bidding on the the original 'Batman' costume starts at $500,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Heritage Auctions offers a wide range of rare collectibles and memorabilia. The auction house will offer an archive of rare television artifacts from June 2 to 4. Heritage Auctions offers a range of rare collectibles for the obsessive — including those obsessed with TV. Next week, an online auction focusing on the Comisar Collection will be held, running from June 2 to June 4. Founded by art market specialist James Comisar in 1989, the Comisar collection is self-described as the "the most comprehensive archive of original television costumes, props, sets, and related ephemera in extant."

☆ A Swedish newspaper is having AI rap its articles in an attempt to get young people interested in the news
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Aftonbladet, a Swedish daily newspaper, is trying to appeal to young people. In response, Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet got creative, using AI to create rap songs that summarize the news and music to pair with written stories, the paper said. Aftonbladet acknowledged the murky ethics of AI-generated content. "The AI-generated rap is also, as hip-hop tends to be, loaded with some values. The paper has an AI policy in place, which allows journalists to use the technology for various parts of their jobs, including to create headlines, interview transcriptions, and video subtitles.

☆ A lurker's worst nightmare — a Facebook bug sent friend requests to profiles that users were looking at
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Lurkers beware — a Facebook glitch sent automatic friend requests to profiles that users clicked on. It's every lurker's worst nightmare — checking the Facebook profile of a crush, coworker, or someone they might not necessarily know, only to accidentally send a friend request. Facebook's parent company, Meta, which confirmed the issue to Insider, said the glitch occurred as a result of an update to the Facebook app, which "caused Facebook friend requests to be sent mistakenly." "Well, that would explain why I received a surprise friend request from some dumshit flat-earther I was making fun of," said another. This is the latest bug to plague Facebook users — in August 2022, a "configuration change," spammed users' feeds with celebrity posts.

☆ Oscar Mayer says goodbye to the historic Weinermobile. Next up: the Frankmobile.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This week Oscar Mayer renamed its Weinermobile. "This month, we are introducing a tasty new recipe with a more balanced flavor profile and iconic beefy taste that is more flavorful than ever," an Oscar Mayer spokesperson told Insider. The original model was 13 feet long and was designed by the General Body Company of Chicago, Oscar Mayer says. A view of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile 75th anniversary at West 75th street in Manhattan. Photo by Rob Kim/Getty ImagesIn its current state, the Oscar Mayer initiative offers jobs to new college graduates to drive around the country and promote the brand.

☆ A suspect has been arrested for leaking the 'House of the Dragon' finale episode — and the alleged hacker made a rookie mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two days before the "House of the Dragon" finale aired last fall, the episode was leaked online. The mysterious case of the leaked "House of the Dragon" finale is one step closer to being solved — and the alleged hacker's cat helped tipped off authorities. Last October, two days before the "Game of Thrones" spin-off's series finale was set to air, the episode was leaked to pirating sites. Despite the leak, "House of the Dragon" was quite succesfull with 9.3 million viewers tuning into the series finale legally. That made it HBO's most-watched finale since the "Game of Thrones" finale in 2019, per Variety.

☆ Got milk? Not chocolate, as USDA considers banning flavored milk options in school cafeterias
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Flavored milk, like chocolate milk, could be limited to high schoolers under the new guidelines. A second proposed rule change would allow allow flavored milk for all grade levels, but the added-sugar levels would be limited. "I feel very strongly that flavored milk should continue to be offered in all grades k-12. Chocolate milk has been banned in San Francisco for elementary and middle schoolers since 2017. Correction: May 16, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated which organization published a study regarding added sugar.

☆ It just got (slightly) easier to vacation like the 1%. Hamptons summer rental prices are dropping.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hampton homeowners are cutting the prices of seasonal rentals in the ritzy vacation towns. Homeowners are cutting the prices of seasonal rentals by up to 20% in order to fill vacancies, CNBC reported. While CNBC cited price reductions spanning between 10% and 20%, it's possible that "greater discounts will show up," one agent told CNBC. An excess of Hamptons summer rentals is starting to become a trend. Last year, a similar glut of rental properties cropped up without the requisite demand to match, leading homeowners to slash rental prices by up to 30%.

☆ Lawsuit alleges that social media companies promoted White supremacist propaganda that led to radicalization of Buffalo mass shooter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Zenebou Sylla Artemis Moshtaghian | Zenebou Sylla | Artemis Moshtaghian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

New York CNN —A wrongful death lawsuit filed against several social media companies Friday alleges that social media lent to the radicalization of the gunman who shot and killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, last May. “However, the social media platforms that radicalized him, and the companies that armed him, must still be held accountable for their actions. Speaking to CNN Sunday, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown commended some of the victims’ families and survivors for tackling extremism on social media platforms. We deliberately designed Snapchat differently than traditional social media platforms and don’t allow unvetted content to go viral or be algorithmically promoted. The lawsuit alleges that social media platforms “Meta, Alphabet, Reddit and 4chan earned advertising revenue from hosting and amplifying” Gendron’s video on their platforms.

☆ Check out the massive machines that were up for sale at a 'heavy equipment auction' in Canada this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, a marketplace for heavy machinery, held an auction in Ontario this week. Bidding took place online, but customers were able to inspect the equipment in person. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers is a marketplace that facilitates the buying and selling of heavy machinery used in construction, mining, forestry, and other industries. This heavy machinery can fetch hefty prices: Each year, the company sells billions of dollars worth of equipment and trucks, according to its website. Here are 10 pieces of heavy equipment that were sold at this week's auction:While the auction items were sold in CAD, the prices below are all in USD.

☆ Twitch's new CEO has some pipes! A clip of him singing 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' during an impromptu, low-key livestream has gone viral.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Earlier this week the new CEO of Twitch, Dan Clancy, took to his own channel for an impromptu performance. The former NASA researcher started singing classic songs, including 'Take me Home, Country Roads.' Twitch's new CEO, Daniel Clancy, took over the top job at the company in mid-March following the departure of previous CEO Emmett Shear. A clip from an impromptu, after-hours Twitch broadcast — Clancy began streaming on May 10 at 7 PM PT, with a keyboard and microphone at his disposal — has gone viral, showing the former NASA researcher singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads." "*Twitch's CEO has been banned due to copyright infringement*," one user joked in a reply to the now viral video.

☆ Y Combinator CEO on leaving Palantir: 'I'm working like a dog for Peter Thiel... Who's the real chump?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan discussed his time at Palantir during its early days at the Axios BFD summit. "I'm working like a dog for Peter Thiel ... Who's the real chump?" He went on to explain that at Palantir he was "working like a dog for Peter Thiel." "I'm working like a dog for Peter Thiel... Who's the real chump?" He returned to Y Combinator as a partner from 2010 to 2015, and as its CEO in January.

☆ Frank Ocean fans, starved for new music, allegedly paid money for so-called leaked tracks. Turns out they were AI-generated
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The incident follows fake song releases from the likes of Drake and Travis Scott. This recently led to a scammer making thousands, peddling so-called leaked Ocean tracks on Discord that were actually generated by AI, according to Motherboard. Some artists are open to AI-generated music using their likeness. Discord servers have served as a kind of refuge for music-based communities to compile leaked songs from artists. The practice of selling leaked songs is illegal.

☆ Tweeting at some airlines for customer support won't work anymore. They've stopped using Twitter amid Elon Musk's changes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some airlines will no longer handle customer service requests over Twitter. A clever customer service hack for dealing with airlines is becoming harder to do thanks to Elon Musk's changes to Twitter. Both Air France and its sister airline KLM will no longer field customer service requests over the social media platform, the companies announced over the past few weeks. The paywalled API contributed to Air France's decision to suspend customer service through Twitter, the Journal reported. The airline is seemingly still fielding customer service requests over Twitter.

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